In a mask pattern forming method, a resist film is formed over a thin film, the resist film is processed into resist patterns having a predetermined pitch by photolithography, slimming of the resist patterns is performed, and an oxide film is formed on the thin film and the resist patterns after an end of the slimming step in a film deposition apparatus by supplying a source gas and an oxygen radical or an oxygen-containing gas. In the mask pattern forming method, the slimming and the oxide film forming are continuously performed in the film deposition apparatus.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. A mask pattern forming method comprising steps of: loading a substrate which has a thin film and a pattern on the thin film, into a process chamber, the pattern having a line and a space therein; slimming the pattern using a first oxygen-containing gas plasma in the process chamber for a predetermined period of time such that the line is slimmed to have a predetermined width; and forming an oxide film on the slimmed pattern and the thin film in the process chamber by performing a cycle of adsorbing an aminosilane based precursor on the thin film and the slimmed pattern and oxidizing the aminosilane based precursor on the thin film and the slimmed pattern using a second oxygen-containing gas plasma a predetermined number of times such that the deposited oxide film has a predetermined thickness, wherein the steps of slimming the pattern and forming the oxide film are performed in the same process chamber, and wherein temperatures at which the pattern is slimmed and at which the oxide film is formed on the pattern are 100 degrees C. or less.
2. The mask pattern forming method according to claim 1 , wherein the steps of slimming the pattern and forming the oxide film are consecutively performed.
3. The mask pattern forming method according to claim 1 , wherein the pattern is a resist film.
4. The mask pattern forming method according to claim 1 , wherein, at the step of loading the substrate, a width of the line is approximately equal to a width of the space.
5. The mask pattern forming method according to claim 1 , wherein a ratio of the predetermined width of the slimmed line to a width of a space between the slimmed lines is 1:3.
6. The mask pattern forming method according to claim 1 , wherein the predetermined thickness of the oxide film is approximately equal to the predetermined width of the slimmed line.
7. The mask pattern forming method according to claim 1 , wherein a width of a space between the oxide films is approximately equal to the predetermined width of the slimmed line.
8. The mask pattern forming method according to claim 1 , wherein the predetermined thickness of the oxide film is approximately equal to the predetermined width of the slimmed line and a width of a space between the oxide films.
9. The mask pattern forming method according to claim 1 , wherein the step of forming the oxide film is performed after the step of slimming the pattern.
10. The mask pattern forming method according to claim 1 , wherein the first oxygen-containing gas plasma and the second oxygen-containing gas plasma are generated from an oxygen-containing gas supplied from a same oxygen-containing gas supply source.
11. The mask pattern forming method according to claim 1 , further comprising: purging the process chamber between the steps of slimming the pattern and forming the oxide film.
12. The mask pattern forming method according to claim 1 , wherein temperatures at which the pattern is slimmed and at which the oxide film is formed on the pattern are below a heat-resisting temperature of the pattern.
13. The mask pattern forming method according to claim 1 , wherein the aminosilane-based precursor is bis-diethylamino silane.
14. The mask pattern forming method according to claim 1 , further comprising: etching the oxide film so that the oxide film remains as a side wall part on a side face of the line.
15. The mask pattern forming method according to claim 14 , further comprising: removing the slimmed pattern so that the side wall part of the oxide film remains on the thin film.
16. A fine pattern forming method comprising steps of: forming a mask pattern on the thin film by performing the mask pattern forming method according to claim 14 ; and etching the thin film by using the mask pattern, to form a thin film pattern.
17. The mask pattern forming method according to claim 1 , wherein the first oxygen-containing gas plasma and the second oxygen-containing gas plasma are O 2 plasma.
18. The mask pattern forming method according to claim 1 , wherein the first oxygen-containing gas plasma and the second oxygen-containing gas plasma are generated using an RF generator supplying radio frequency power between 50- 500 W at a frequency of 13.56 MHz.
Cooperative Patent Classification codes for this invention. Click any code to explore related patents in that topic.
September 25, 2017
November 27, 2018
Browse 5M+ US patents with plain-English claim translations and AI-generated analysis.